1. We blinked, and here it is. We have two undefeated teams playing for state championships this week in Mart and Oglesby. Yet both are underdogs. Let's start with No. 2 Mart first, who will face No. 1 Albany again, just like last year. It was 41-21 Albany last year, viewed as a big upset. Will payback be the factor that pushes Mart over the hump?

2. Neither team has played a lot of close games this year, with the Panthers having to rally in the second half in their last two playoff games. So, if this does turn into a close game, does that favor one team over the other, since they haven't had much experience with that?

3. Oglesby is 13-0 and in their first title game in school history. The Tigers have scored at least 60 points in their last six games, and yet they're a 41-point underdog to No. 1 Benjamin. When you're doing something for the very first time, how do you avoid that "we're just happy to be here" feeling?

4. We are a little less than two months away from the UIL realignment announcement for the 2024-26 school year, and the cutoffs were announced last week. After a four-year run in Class 3A, Lorena will be moving back up to 4A, Division IIand, guess what, China Spring and La Vega also drop down to 4A Division II. One plausible projection out there has it aligned as China Spring, La Vega, Robinson, Connally, Gatesville, Lorena and Hillsboro.

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